Expert: Christopher Littrell - 12/10/2008

Question
I wrote before and did every thing I was told to do.
1. Increase the light Intensity and duration
2. Cease all fertilizing
3. Change the soil.
4. Mist  twice a day
It has been 3 or 4 months since I did all the above.
I still have the same problem. The leaves get the stem growning off the end of it but instead of a pitcher forming it turns brown and no pitchers form.
What did I need to do to get the plant to form pitchers.

Answer
Hello Susan,

You might have asked another expert your question as I do not see your previous questions on my list of past answers.

In any event, so long as your Nepenthes is getting at least partial sun all day long outside or is getting direct window sun all day, possibly suppemented by 12000 lumens of florescent light 8 inches or less from the plant for at least 14 hours a day, it should be getting sufficient light. Make sure the window is an East or South facing one to provide a good dose of window diluted sun for the plant at least for a few hours a day.

Since the plant sounds like it was fertilized it might still be in fertilizer overload. Some carnivorous plants simply stop producing carnivorous traps when they have too much fertilizer in the environment. It can take Nepenthes a while (several weeks to months) to readjust and begin growing normally again after innappropriate environmental changes occur.

Misting really will not help the plant with additional humidity in the long run. Check your home humidity with a meter and determine if the plant has enough environmental humidity that does not change drastically every so often. Air conditioning turned on and off every few hours can alter the humidity level in your home enough to keep a Nepenthes unhappy and pitcherless. The same occurs if plants are moved around a lot from room to room and from inside to outside where the humidity and temperature are very different. Keep the humidity and temperature relatively stable. Nepenthes can tolerate temperature changes over the course of hours as night and day fluctuations are natural, however; humidity really has a major effect on pitcher formation if it changes drastically in a few minutes or hours time over and over again. Best bet is to ensure the plant is adapted to one relatively stable place.

Nepenthes are intolerant of copper based fungicides and chemicals. Be cautious of the chemicals and cleansers you use near your plants. Some chemicals and strong fertilizers directly applied to the leaves might burn them and cause pitchers to abort.

It sounds like a combination of factors lead to the Nepenthes being weakened to the point that it simply has not had a chance to adapt. Environmental changes mixed with fertilized soil simply may have caused enough harm that it will take a longer time for the plant to adjust.

Christopher